Giuoco Piano – Møller Attack (7.Nc3 & 9.d5)
With 7.Nc3 White offers the e4 pawn; after 7...Nxe4 8.O-O Bxc3 the 9.d5 push is the idea of the Møller Attack. White regains the piece on e4 and plays a pawn down against the black king stuck in the centre.
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bb4+ 7.Nc3 Nxe4 8.O-O Bxc3 9.d5 Bf6 10.Re1 Ne7 11.Rxe4
Move by move
- 1.e4 – Occupies the centre and frees the queen and the f1-bishop, which in the Italian Game goes to c4 to aim at the weak f7 point.
- 1...e5 – Black contests the centre at once: the e5 pawn controls d4 and f4 and opens the diagonal for the f8-bishop and the queen.
- 2.Nf3 – Development with an attack: the knight hits the e5 pawn, controls d4 and prepares quick kingside castling.
- 2...Nc6 – Defends e5 while developing and adds control of d4, the square White wants for a pawn.
- 3.Bc4 – The Italian Game move: the bishop aims at f7, defended only by the king, and controls d5, making ...d5 harder to achieve.
- 3...Bc5 – The Giuoco Piano: Black replies symmetrically, aiming at f2 and controlling d4 to hinder the d2-d4 advance.
- 4.c3 – Prepares d4: the c3 pawn takes d4 away from the c6-knight and will let White build an e4-d4 centre with tempo on the c5-bishop.
- 4...Nf6 – Counterattack on e4: Black develops and exploits the fact that c3 has taken away the natural defence Nc3.
- 5.d4 – White carries out the plan: d4 attacks e5 and the c5-bishop and challenges Black to give up the centre.
- 5...exd4 – The most common reply: Black gives up e5 and exchanges on d4, so White must recapture with the c-pawn and the c5-bishop is attacked again.
- 6.cxd4 – White gets the ideal e4-d4 centre and attacks the c5-bishop, which has to move.
- 6...Bb4+ – The most active check: instead of retreating, the bishop forces White to block, and if the knight comes to c3 it is pinned, preparing ...Nxe4.
- 7.Nc3 – The Greco Gambit / Møller Attack: White offers the e4 pawn to develop and castle quickly, counting on the e-file that will open.
- 7...Nxe4 – Black accepts and takes on e4, exploiting the pin of the c3-knight by the b4-bishop.
- 8.O-O – White castles instead of regaining material at once: the king is safe and the rook is ready for Re1 against the e4-knight.
- 8...Bxc3 – The most played reply: Black removes the c3-knight before White can use it; 8...Nxc3 is studied in the next line.
- 9.d5 – The heart of the Møller Attack: instead of recapturing on c3, White chases the c6-knight and gains space; after 9.bxc3 Black would free his game with ...d5.
- 9...Bf6 – The bishop, attacked by the b2 pawn, returns to f6, where it guards the kingside and controls e5; Black stays a pawn up.
- 10.Re1 – The rook attacks the e4-knight while the c6-knight is still hit by d5: Black cannot save everything without returning material.
- 10...Ne7 – The c6-knight escapes to e7, where it shields the king on the e-file; the e4-knight is given back.
- 11.Rxe4 – White regains the piece: he is a pawn down, but the e4-rook pins the e7-knight to the king and the d5 pawn cramps Black.
How to exploit the position
White is a pawn down but better developed, with pressure on the e-file against the uncastled black king. Black wants ...d6 and ...O-O; White must act first.
- Bg5 to exchange the f6-bishop, the best defender of the kingside, and increase pressure on e7.
- The e7-knight is pinned by the e4-rook: double on the e-file with Qe2 to attack it again.
- The d5 pawn controls c6 and e6 and hinders the development of the c8-bishop to e6.
- Black aims for ...d6 and ...O-O to escape the pin: with Bg5 and Qe2 strike before the king reaches g8.
Master tips
In the Møller the initiative counts
You are a pawn down: complete development with Bg5 and Qe2 before thinking about material.